The blood in Mary Jane’s face drained. Her once rosy cheeks were now stark white. “What?” She stammered.
“My Tiger is telling me your Liger is his mate. Hell, my heart has always told me you were the one for me. Granted, I didn’t want to accept it years ago, but I’m done being young and dumb.”
Mary Jane whirled away from him, breaking the cage of his arms. She rushed out to the living room and started pacing the floor. “No. No, no, no, no! This can’t be happening.”
Sam rushed out to her and grabbed her by the shoulders to stop her frantic pacing. “What is it, MJ? What can’t be happening?”
She stopped and looked him in the eyes. It was like she was staring straight down into his soul. He wasn’t quite ready to lay his soul bare, but damn he hoped she saw the truth in his words.
Silence stretched between them. His gut was roiling, burning with the need to know what was going on in her head.
Her gaze dropped away from him. A tremor rocked her body. “I don’t feel anything,” she whispered. The agonized tone was too full of pain. He couldn’t help but feel how much she was hurting.
The simplest thought hit him. “You just came into full adulthood, maybe it will take a little longer because you’re a hybrid.” He would cling to any hope, any excuse if it meant they could take the time to figure this out. She was his mate. He wasn’t about to give her up.
“No. I don’t feel anything. I didn’t feel anything yesterday either. I haven’t felt anything stirring in the past six months. My parents told me it was possible nothing would happen. That there was a good chance I wouldn’t transition like full bloods. This proves it.”
“It doesn’t prove anything, MJ. We just need to give you a little more time. Spend some more time together, just the two of us. Maybe that will kick start the pull for you.”
There was a long, silent pause. He could see her working out something in her head. There was no way he was going to interrupt her thoughts. She was struggling with everything. He could tell. He should have held off saying anything. Waited until he knew she was hooked on being with him.
She searched his face looking for an answer he didn’t know the question to. Not until she finally asked. “How bad is the pull to me, to my Liger?”
Sam cringed. It was bad. Real fucking bad. The last couple of months had been getting gradually more painful. His Tiger knew she belonged to them. It scratched the surface anytime he saw her but Sam controlled him…barely. He also spent a lot of time at his sister’s place letting his Tiger roam. And when Corrine and Jett were shifted and frolicking, he was over at Corrine’s neighbor’s property running, with his permission of course. All so he could burn the need out of his body, wear his Tiger out so he was too exhausted to force Sam’s human side to claim MJ when he knew she wasn’t ready. But did he want to tell her that? Should he lie and say that it just started so he could convince her they could wait a little longer? His indecision must have played out across his face.
Jerking away from him, MJ made her way back to her bedroom, seconds later she came out carrying the rest of his clothes. She shoved them at him, his arms automatically wrapping around the rumpled clothes so they didn’t land on the floor.
“No. It’s best to break this off now, Sam. I don’t want you to get hurt. I can’t be your true mate since I don’t feel anything beyond lust.”
He opened his mouth to say he could work with lust but she just barreled on.
“They say with time apart the pull will become less and less. I just hope whoever they are is right.”
MJ suddenly stopping talking. A horrified look came over her face. Her mouth opened and if he thought she went white earlier, then she would be passing out any second from blood loss. “I’m going to have to go away,” she whispered, the hurt and pain bleeding through.
He tried to speak again but she cut him off.
“No.”
Damn he hated that word.
“I’ll just have to go home. Corrine has Jett to help out at the bakery. Plus, we’ve hired Jamie as a new baking assistant. She should be here Monday. Since she’s still struggling with what to do with her life, this will give her a chance to really see if she wants to pursue a culinary degree. She’ll have to carry my load until you find your true mate.”
Mary Jane spun him and shoved him toward the door. It was all falling apart, panic was setting in and he couldn’t think of a way to stop it. He knew she was bullheaded and stubborn when she got something into her head. Knew he couldn’t talk her out of this dumbass idea that she needed to leave. He would have to give her a little time to calm down, but not too much. He was going to have to convince Corrine to stop her from leaving.
Before he knew it, he was standing on the other side of her front door. He twisted toward MJ to tell her she was being irrational, but it was too late.
“I’m so sorry, Sam,” she said as she closed the door. The dead bolt fell into place and his heart sunk.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Thirty minutes later, Sam was pounding on his sister’s front door. When no one answered, he stomped around to the back of the house, determination pounding with each step. He knew they were home. Both cars were in the driveway. He needed to talk to his sister. Convince her to help him keep MJ in town.
It occurred to him on the drive out that if she ran home to her parents, she would be in constant contact with Devon Andersen. Her parents were set on her marrying the guy, and they would do anything to help that along. If she told them everything, they would use it all against her. They would say it was proof she was never destined to find a mate and push her that much closer to accepting Devon’s proposal.
As Sam peered into the glass slider looking for any signs of life, he was tackled from the side, landing on his back; the wind was knocked out of him. A large Tiger with its teeth bared pinned him down.
It took a couple of seconds for his brain to kick into gear, and to pull air back into his lungs. He shoved the large head to the side and tried to climb out from under the beast. Laughter off to his right caught his attention. Jett stood as naked as the day he was born, head thrown back in laughter.
Sam looked back to the Tiger above him. “Damn it, Corrine! Get off me.” He shoved at his sister again, but she didn’t budge. Instead, she shoved her nose into his chest and sniffed. He threw a heated glare at Jett. “For the love of decency, put some clothes on and get her off me!”
Jett continued to laugh at Sam’s unfortunate predicament, apparently in no hurry to help him out. Corrine took his moment of distraction as an opportunity to lick the side of his face, her rough tongue leaving a wet trail from chin to temple, matting the hair on the side of his head. There was no doubt, she was getting back at him for tackling her when he showed up unexpectedly all those months ago and threw a wrench into Jett’s plan to woo her.
Before he could attempt to move her again, she gracefully stepped away, shifted and grabbed hers and Jett’s robes. Both donning them before he could get to his feet. Once there, he glanced at the two of them and his mood dropped even further. They were both in love, mated and happier than he had ever seen. Wasn’t jealousy a bitch?
“What brings you by?” Jett asked, now that he wasn’t laughing anymore.
“Oh, I can tell you what.” Corrine crowed. “He smells like MJ. He finally got his head out of his ass and noticed she was a living, breathing, sexy ass woman and then had sex with her. What did she do, shove you out the door right after? It probably serves you right for being an idiot all these years.”
Corrine chuckled, walking past him and into the house. Flipping on the kitchen light, she went straight to the coffee maker and started a fresh pot. He and Jett followed behind, taking seats at the dining room table.
“What did you do to mess things up already?” Corrine asked.
“What makes you think it was me? It could have been her.” Sam felt a frown form on his face. Why was it the guy was always at fault? He knew for a fact he had done nothing wrong. He
ll, he was prepared to claim MJ before they even had sex.
“Oh please, Sam. You’re a guy. Of course it’s your fault.”
Jett snorted in amusement. He looked over at his best friend, now brother-in-law, and wondered what he thought was so funny. He must have said the last bit out loud.
“What’s funny is that you don’t think you did anything wrong. I can tell by the perplexed look on your face. I’ll let you in on a secret, bro; it will always be your fault. Somehow, someway you did something wrong. Now just fess up to it so we can all have a good laugh at your misery, and maybe your sister will let us have some of that cake leftover from last night.”
He snorted. “Man, has she got you whipped.”
“So says the man that I’m guessing, got kicked from his mate’s bed and is now at his sister’s place looking for help.”
Jett’s knowing gaze made Sam squirm in his seat. When he couldn’t take it anymore, he bolted from the chair and started pacing. Corrine carried in three cups of coffee, placing them on the table, and sat down on Jett’s lap.
Sam stopped in his tracks, slightly uncomfortable with the whole intimate situation his friend and sister made. Freakin’ lovebirds.
“Is Jett right, Sam? Is MJ your mate?” Corrine looked at him with hope glimmering in her eyes. He bet it was her fondest wish for MJ to become her sister.
Sam heaved a sigh. “Yeah, she’s my mate alright. If I didn’t know it before, last night proved it. Everything was perfect. My Tiger was soothed and content being with her. The constant pain of Dewasa damn near went away. Everything in me screamed she’s my mate.” And if I hadn’t had a condom on, we would have begun twining our Jiwa when I bit her. Her spirit would be joined with mine like they were meant to be. That, however, was something he wasn’t going to tell his sister about. It would be way too much in the sharing department.
Corrine jumped up from Jett’s lap and flung herself at him. He barely caught them from stumbling. “Oh my god, that’s fantastic! I just knew it. I knew you two were meant to be together.” Corrine squeezed him hard, choking him. Jett got up and pried her off of him, then slapped him on the arm.
“Good for you man. You couldn’t have found a better mate. So, why are you here with us and not chaining that woman to a bed, or dragging her back to Garden to get the blessing from The Guild to claim her before the next Gathering?”
“Yeah, well I know she’s my mate, problem is, she doesn’t think she’s mine since she doesn’t feel even the slightest pull. She shoved me out the door before I could convince her otherwise. And, I’m here because I need your help, Corrine.”
He looked at his sister and hoped like hell she could sense just how serious the situation was. Also, he hoped she would stop MJ before she packed her bags and blazed a trail out of town.
“Anything.” Corrine grabbed his hand and dragged him back to the table. She pushed him into a chair, and then took the seat across from him. “Now, tell me everything.”
Sam felt his eyebrows raise in question.
Corrine blushed and giggled. “Well, not everything. There are some things I never want to hear about—even with MJ being my best friend.”
“I confessed that I felt she was my mate. She, in turn, said she felt absolutely nothing. Then she started rambling on about leaving town and me finding my true mate. She shoved me out the door, locked it, and now I’m here. I need you to convince her to stay and not run away.”
“Whoa! Leave town? She can’t leave. I need her here to help with our business.” Her mouth opened a couple of times like a fish. Whatever she was trying to think through finally came out. “I can’t believe she would give you up that easy. You’re everything she’s ever wanted. She’s been in love with you forever.”
Sam’s Tiger perked up inside. Ever since he left MJ’s place, the beast had been pacing, angry and confused. Now he and his Tiger saw a glimmer of hope. “She’s in love with me?”
“Of course, you big dope. She has been for years. At first she just lusted after you, but as the years went by, I know she fell in love. She has been dying for you to notice her, not that she would ever admit it. Then, that whole thing with Bitsy happened. You bruised her heart and her ego, and she swore she quit caring about you, but I saw through the lie. It crushed her when you didn’t come back to check on her. But after the fire at the bakery, the way you took care of her, well I knew for sure she never stopped loving you.”
A small wave of relief crashed through him. Knowing she was in love with him was a balm to his frazzled nerves. Mary Jane was it for him, the one and only woman he wanted in his life, and he was up for the battle. He wanted to claim her Jiwa—her spirit, her mind, and her heart.
A smile small turned up the corners of his mouth. A plan was starting to form and now that he knew Corrine had his back, he was going to use her to his advantage. It was time to go to war with the woman he loved. He would conquer her completely or die trying. A nagging thought kept tugging at him, though. It was going to take more that just making sure she stayed in town and spent every minute with him. He needed to find out more about how mixed species developed. He needed an expert on Ligers.
MJ wasn’t the least bit surprised to get a call from Corrine, asking if she wanted to come out for a barbeque. They did it every Sunday since she moved out and into her apartment. A new tradition since they no longer lived in the same house and didn’t get the chance to hang out like they used to.
MJ was free to go today, too. Her family called to let her know they were on the road back to Garden. Everyone had work the next day and wanted to get back to their normal routines. She was about to tell her mother she was coming to stay with them for a while, but something stopped her. It was just on the tip of her tongue when her mom told her she would tell Devon hello from her. She would also tell him how MJ was doing and what she was up to. The blasé comment shocked her into finally thinking about the implications of going home. Not only would Devon take that to mean she was relenting and agreeing to be his companion, but she would have to explain the humiliating circumstance that lead to her decision. She still hadn’t told Corrine she was going to have to leave.
Unless Sam has told her already.
Her breath stopped up in her chest, and her eyes burned as she kept tears at bay. Just thinking about leaving her best friend, the business and the town she had come to love, hurt her more than she thought it would.
She tried not to include Sam in the list of people she would miss, but an image of his face flitted through her head. The shock and sadness so clear to see when she informed him of her decision to leave. It completely gutted her.
She couldn’t let sexual attraction hold him back from true happiness. Happiness he would find with some other woman. A full-blooded Tiger that would give him babies; MJ herself didn’t think she could have. A woman who would love and cherish Sam like he deserved and would, in turn, be cherished by him.
As MJ rolled to a stop in front of the house, she took a quick inventory of the vehicles. She didn’t see Sam’s. A tidal wave of sadness enveloped her. Didn’t he think she would be here? If he really did think they were mates, why wasn’t he out here making her listen to him? Making her see that he was right.
Slowly MJ got out of the car and made her way around the back of the house. Puffs of smoke from the grill wafted through the air, the scent of meaty steaks calling to her as she rounded the corner. She came to a stop when she spied Corrine at the grill. It was so good to see her friend. Corrine really was the sister she never had. And now MJ was contemplating leaving. What would this do to their friendship? Corrine wouldn’t understand her decisions. There was too much she didn’t know about MJ’s past. When they became friends, MJ took her parents’ words into consideration. Be like everyone else, Mary Jane. We are out of options.
Refusing to dwell on the negative thoughts trying to take hold, MJ plastered on a smile and approached Corrine.
“Did you finally kick Jett out of the way so you can man the gr
ill like you used to?”
“It’s about time you got here.” Corrine waved the large metal fork in her direction. Nothing like being scolded with an instrument of death being brandished in your face.
MJ looked around. “Well, it looks like I’m the only one here.”
“Nah, the guys took a run over to Sebastian’s. He needed help with some manly something or other. I really didn’t pay much attention. They should be back in a few.”
MJ gulped hard. “The guys?” She really shouldn’t have asked. She was totally letting on that something was up.
Corrine smiled and flipped a steak. That was when MJ took notice of how much meat was on the grill. “How many people are coming?” Aside from the four steaks that were usually on it, there were three additional.
“There’s you and Jamie. I don’t expect her for another half hour, though. Bodie and Soren came with Sam when he ran back to the condo and hit the store for me. So there are seven of us total.”
“I didn’t see his car out front. Or any car for that matter.”
“Oh, I think they parked in the bakery’s old lot. Jett said something about hanging a basketball hoop later. I think they are all aching for a new competition. Weirdoes.”
Striving for casual, MJ walked over to the patio set and took a seat. She coolly looked around, praying Sam didn’t show up right at the moment. She needed a little time to prepare to see him. She cleared her throat. “Oh, makes sense. They do love to out-do each other. I wish you had told me there were going to be a lot of people here; I could have made something to bring over.”
Corrine huffed out a laugh. “Seriously? You know I love these Sunday gatherings. I’ve been cooking up a storm since Sam left this morning. He was all too happy to pick up a couple more steaks and the guys, when I asked if he thought they might like to be included. I’m loving this whole new family dynamic.”
Claiming More (Tiger Nip) Page 6